Saturday, September 13, 2008

Things are getting serious as winter approaches in the Afghan hills and the Taliban are steppping up their assaults. 2 men on a hill top set off a remote controlled device in the vehicle of Abdullah Wardak, the governor of Logar province in Paghman, about 12 miles west of Kabul.

Gen. Zalmay Khan, a police commander of the Kabul province reports that the explosion happened , only 500 yards from Wardak's house as he headed in a 3 car convoy to Parliament. The blast killed him and 2 bodyguards and a driver. Gen. Zalmay Khan, a police commander in Kabul province.

Two men were seen to scarper and detonating wires were found - surely a bit odd for a remote device in amoving vehicle ?

Another version of the killing is supplied by Logar police chief Ghulam Mustafa Mohseni who is reported to have said said Wardak had been killed in a suicide attack. "The governor was leaving his house for the office," Mohseni told Reuters by telephone from Logar.

"The suicide bomber was waiting near his residence. As the governor came out with his driver, he was targeted and killed."

Wardak, a former Cabinet member, was in charge of Logar, the province directly south of Kabul. Afghanistan has 34 provinces, each headed by a provincial governor.

Wardak served as a commander for one of the armed mujahadeen factions that helped US-led troops overthrow the hardline Islamist Taliban government in late 2001.He appears to have had the confidence of ISAF and worked with a local Czech contingent.

He is the second governor killed in recent years. Here he is with the Czech PRT who are building a Comprehensive Health Clinic in Pole Alam District The cremony took place April 1st 2008.

Wardak had the unpleasant task on August 13th of announcing the death of, "Three foreign women employees of IRC (International Rescue Committee) and their local driver (who) were killed in this ambush by the opposition forces,""They were travelling in a car towards Kabul," said Abdullah Wardak, the governor of Logar province south of Kabul where the incident took place.

More ISAF deaths

ISAF also report another death so far unidentified, when insurgents fired on a patrol. No other details were released.

An ambush on a NATO supply convoy left 10 militants and five Afghan security guards dead. Taliban militants attacked a convoy hauling supplies for the NATO forces in the western Farah province, said Rohullah Amin, the provincial governor.

The ambush sparked a fierce battle between the attackers and guards from a private security company that was escorting the convoy, Amin said, adding that the firefight left 10 militants and five Afghan security guards dead.

He said three other security guards were presumed to have been kidnapped by the militants, who fled the area after the reinforcements were deployed.